A Promise to Keep
by Just Over the Horizon
Summary: For most explorers, the adventure begins on Maple Island. For this young girl however, it begins in the treacherous mountains of El Nath. Let the adventure begin.
1. Loss

"It's so cold…" An innocent voice trembled as a raging blizzard swept through the many mountains of El Nath. The wind ripped through her hair wildly and sent a chill down her spine.

El Nath, a devilishly cold and evil place, home to many ferocious and bloodthirsty creatures. It is one of the most untamed places in the Maple World. This is hardly a place for a little girl. Even seasoned explorers have their fair share of trouble with the beasts that reside here.

"Mom… Dad… Where are you…?" The girl was near a dying fire, clutching her knees to keep whatever warmth she had. "You… you said you'd be back soon…"

Her parents, great explorers of their time, had gone out on a trip with their young daughter, Sage. Sage's father, a fierce Knight, was a very strong and an experienced traveler. Her mother, a wise Arch Mage, was almost equally as strong. They had traveled throughout this harsh region before, but never with a 12 year old girl to tend to.

"_Sage honey, we are going on ahead to clear a path back to town for you." Her father said as he picked up his spear. "Something odd is going on… The monsters here have gotten stronger than they used to be… It's not safe here."_

"_Your father's right Sage… The blizzard doesn't help either." The Mage picked up her daughter and held her close for warmth. Using her mana, Sage's mother conjured a small flame on a pile of dried wood. "I'll come back and get you once the path is clear, okay honey?" She placed the small girl next to the fire and gave her a kiss on the head._

"_Don't worry Sage. If anything happens, the Beholder will lead you to town." Her father stabbed the earth with his spear. Out of the cracks in the ground manifested a black flame creature with one eye. Although most would be frightened by this being, Sage simply smiled at the sight of the Beholder. The floating creature made its way over to the girl and her father kissed her on the head._

_The former expert adventurers walked away from the girl, the Beholder, and the fire. Sage didn't know that it would be the last time she'd see her parents alive._

"Beholder… Can you tell if my dad is okay…?" She looked at the being, tears welling up in her eyes.

The Beholder looked at her and closed its eye in concentration. The seconds past by painfully slow for Sage. The anticipation was making her heart race. A tear ran down her cheek only to be frozen by a cold gust of wind. The fire her mother made for her unexpectedly died out, strangely enough there was still wood to be burned.

Suddenly, the Beholder shrieked in pain as its flames became sharp like spikes. "Dad!" Sage cried out. It was not a good sign, something had injured her father and the Beholder was reacting to it. She immediately got up and followed what was left of their footprints. The Beholder pursued after her, which was an easy task, considering that she was nearly waist deep in snow.

"Mom! Dad!" Sage called out to her parents, hoping that they would hear her. However, there was no reply back.

Sage became more and more frantic as time passed. She was already exhausted from the trek into the mountains, but trying to find her parents in those conditions was wearing her too thin. She collapsed on the ground, bawling. Not only were her parents missing, but she was in an unforgiving territory. The Beholder hovered over her and began looking in different directions, trying to pinpoint the location of its master. Its eye abruptly widened and it came down to Sage's level to try and alert her of something.

Sage looked up at her father's Beholder and looked to the direction it was staring. "…No. Mommy!" Her mother was lying on the ground behind a few fallen rocks. Adrenaline rushed through Sage as she jumped back up and ran to her mother's side, the Beholder followed suit. "Mom! Are you okay?" Sage tugged at her mother's robe. "What happened? Where's Daddy?"

Her mother opened her eyes slightly. "Sage… Oh honey… I'm so glad you're okay…"

"Mom what happened? Where's Dad?" Sage could care less about her physical well being. She cared more about her injured mother and her missing father.

"He… I'm sorry Sage…" Her mother's eyes began tearing up. "A group of werewolves… They all ganged up on me before I could guard myself… He rushed in… And… They took him away…"

Upon hearing that, the girl collapsed to the ground next to her mother. Sage sobbed in her mother's arms for what seemed like forever. To Sage, her father was the strongest there ever was. She never thought something like that could ever happen to him.

Her mother sat up slightly and did her best to comfort her. "I'm so sorry Sage…" Her breathing was very labored. "I don't think … I can go to town with you…"

"No! You can't! I need you Mom!" Sage cried even more. She grasped her mother's robe even harder, unwilling to let go of the fact that she had to leave her mother too.

"I don't have the strength… Sage, I lo-" Before her mother could finish, the Beholder shrieked to alert them of more werewolves coming their way.

Her mother's eyes glowed with anger as she attacked them with what little mana she had left. "Paralyze you demons! Sage! Go!" The werewolves howled in immense pain as they were paralyzed by her spell.

"Mom! I don't want to be alone! I can't!"

Her mother ignored her plea, "Ifrit, I summon you!" A large molten creature materialized itself. "Protect her on the way to town, I beg of you…" The Arch Mage then collapsed from exhaustion, she had a minuscule amount of mana left.

"Mom!" Sage was in a panic. The werewolves were beginning to break free of their paralysis.

The Mage reached for the necklace around her neck, unlatched it and handed it to her daughter. "Remember… We will always love you… Now please. Go and be safe…"

Sage stared at her mother for a second. She took the necklace from her mom and kissed her on the cheek. She knew she had to leave her dying mother, quickly. "I love you guys too…" With tears in her eyes, Sage ran as fast as she could away from her mother and the monsters. The Beholder and Ifrit trailed right after her.

The monsters, which had finally broken free from the attack, turned and began chasing after the young girl.

"Don't you even think... Of hurting my child…" The mother threatened weakly.

The monsters stopped and glanced over to her. A sneer appeared on their faces. They knew that she only had mere moments to live.

Sage turned as she ran, the werewolves were catching up on her. Ifrit suddenly picked her up and placed her on its shoulders. Both Ifrit and the Beholder tried as best as they could to get Sage to safety, as their masters wished. The werewolves however, were catching up with them. One even managed to slash at Ifrit's back, missing by mere inches.

"I warned you…" The Mage's voice appeared as if from nowhere. She teleported her way up to the creatures and unleashed all her mana at them, killing them, and herself with a massive bang.

"Mom..!" Sage turned and saw the explosion that her mother caused to save her life. She bowed her head in respect and sadness as she said a prayer, "Thank you so much… For protecting me… I'll never forget what you did… I love you so much Mom and Dad…"

Sage looked upon the necklace that her mother had given her mere moments before she left. It was a locket that had a family photo in it. She immediately began sobbing at the sight of her parent's faces.

As the girl and the two creatures made their way out of the mountain range, a mysterious voice whispered something, "_Sage…"_

The girl looked around, she was scared and confused. Both Ifrit and the Beholder didn't seem to hear the voice. They simply kept on with the journey back to town.

"_We love you Sage…"_ It was her father's voice, _"I'm sorry we weren't strong enough to get out of there alive… We tried our best to get you out of there safe."_

Her mother joined in, _"Please, be safe Sage. We miss you."_

"I miss you too… I promise… I'll never let someone risk their life for me, ever. I don't want to see them get hurt… I love you… I'll never forget what you did for me…" She put on the locket around her neck, grasping it tenderly.

"I promise…" She kept repeating to herself as they came closer to town.


	2. Alcaster

"Things are gonna get harder from here on out… Aren't they…?" Sage sighed to herself as Ifrit and the Beholder made their way near the town of El Nath.

Since their masters lost their lives, it was very difficult for the two summons to maintain their forms. However, they were determined to get Sage to town, no matter the cost. It was their master's last wish after all.

Sage looked down on Ifrit and then to her father's Beholder. "Thank you… So much. I wish you guys didn't have to go…" She didn't want grasp the harsh reality that she was alone.

The travel back to town was faster than she ever expected. She never thought she'd have to say goodbye to the two so fast. They were part of her family and constantly summoned whenever they traveled. It would be the very last time she'd see them.

Ifrit picked her up from its rocky shoulders and placed her gently on the ground. It patted her head with its arm as the Beholder nuzzled her cheek. Sage cupped her hands over the flame creature on her cheek and held it close. She pulled her hands in front of her and said to the Beholder, "Thank you for being there for me dad. I'm sure he was very grateful to you." She then looked up at the fire creature and bowed in respect. "I'm sure my mom was very grateful to you too Ifrit. Thank you. I really hope I see you two again…"

The Beholder closed its eye as Ifrit bowed back to Sage. A tear fell down her face as they disappeared. Nothing remained to prove they ever existed, her parent's mana was completely wiped out from the world. The young girl never felt so alone. All that was left of her family was gone.

Sage grasped her locket that dangled from her neck, trying to seek comfort somehow.

"_I promise… I'll never let someone risk their life for me, ever. I don't want to see them get hurt_…" She thought as she trudged through the icy streets of the town.

"_How am I going to do that…?" _Sage looked at the cabins that lined the walkway._ "Maybe one of the elders can help me…"_

The raven haired girl wandered deeper into the town until she saw an old man with a dark cloak. Before she could even get the man's attention he turned around suddenly. His long beard reached the middle of his chest, he radiated wisdom.

"Excuse me… Sir? I need your help." Sage stuttered to the man.

The man simply looked down at her, "Your mana reminds me of someone… Wait… Not one, but two…"

Sage looked confused. _"I have mana?"_

The man leaned closer to her and stared into her eyes. He pondered to himself at first them exclaimed, "Ah yes! Of course! They never told me they had a daughter!" A wide smile painted his face as he pulled the confused girl into an embrace.

"Huh? Wait, you knew my parents?" She blinked in confusion (F6 is applicable for this scenario)

"Knew them?" He laughed, stiff hugging her. "Young one, I am Alcaster, a great Mage. I know all explorers who venture through here. Your parents spent quite a while in Nath, back when the monsters weren't this… strong."

His expression changed as he said those last few words. "My child… Is it true…? I cannot sense their mana signature. Have they… departed?" He placed Sage on the ground gently.

She looked away from Alcaster. She managed to whimper a small, "…Yes."

"I see… I was hoping for my senses to be wrong, but that is not the case. I apologize for your loss. Is there a reason why you were wandering through this town young one?"

"Well…" Sage began, slowly building up the courage to talk to him. "Well, I want to be stronger so that no one has to protect me. So something like that will never happen again." She touched her locket instinctively.

"I see…" Alcaster stroked his beard. "A noble reason. I commend you for wanting to do this, but this path will be a long and arduous one. You understand?"

Still clutching her locket, Sage nodded her head in agreement.

"I see. Well then, you're going to have to travel to Victoria Island. I will arrange an escort for you as soon as he arrives. He will protect you from the monsters on the way up the tower." The cloaked Mage pointed to a very large tower to the west.

Sage stared at the tower, _"It didn't seem that big when we used a scroll to get here… Wow…"_

"Now then, let's get you warmed up. Soon your escort should arrive and then you shall begin your journey!" Alcaster chuckled. "I remember by days as a young adventurer!"

Sensing a long explanation of his life, Sage quickly bowed, "Thank you very much Alcaster. I'd be lost as to where to go without you."

"No need to thank me young one." He smiled once again. "Come come, we shall wait for him at my home." With that, the man led the way to his cabin with Sage a few paces behind him.

Alcaster's home was quite strange. All it had was the basic essentials, a kitchen, bed, couch, bookshelf and a fireplace. What adorned the walls of his home was very unique. A variety of Werewolf skulls held a place above the fireplace, where pelts of different monsters laid comfortably on the floor as well as on the walls near the door. Some rare and beautiful weapons were also hung around the home. Sage looked in awe at all of the treasures and wonders that covered the cabin.

Sage quickly sat in front of the fireplace and warmed herself up. She had been outside in below freezing temperatures for hours. Alcaster picked a book from the shelf and sat down at his couch.

"Alcaster? Who's going to be escorting me to Victoria Island?" Sage questioned as she placed her hands closer to the fire.

The Mage looked up, "He is a very strong adventurer named Anthony. He is very skilled in the ways of the Marksman. I sent him out on an errand a few hours ago, he should be back soon."

"A Marksman huh? I never met one before."

"Not many have the keen eyes that they require. By the way, what path would you choose once you arrive at Victoria?"

"Path? What do you mean?"

"Class wise my child. Warrior, Rouge, Archer, Mage, or Pirate?"

"Oh! Sorry about that." Sage thought about her mother and father. "I've never had to think about it until now."

"Perhaps Anthony will sway you into becoming an Archer!" Alcaster laughed a bit.

"I think I'm going to pick either a Mage or Warrior. In honor of my parents." Sage stared deeply into the flames.

"Really? Both are amazing in their own aspects. I know you will make the right choice." He smiled.

"Thank you Alcaster." Sage smiled as well. "I'll make you and my parents proud."

A loud knock came from the door, which startled Sage. "Alcaster! Open up!"

"Looks like Anthony is here!" He quickly got out of his seat and made his way to the door.

"Anthony my boy! Good to see you!" Alcaster greeted him as he opened the door and let him in.

"Hey old man! I finished that errand you asked me to do. Anything else for today, or should I make my way to Aqua now?" Anthony smiled and patted Alcaster on the back, his crossbow strapped to his back.

"Good to hear! I have one more task for you to do, then you'll be out of my hair."

"You sure Alcaster? That's a long beard you got there. I'm pretty sure it'll strangle me at any moment!" He gave a hearty laugh and looked over to the fireplace to see Sage sitting there. "And who is this little one? A grandchild? Alcaster you old dog." Anthony laughed again.

"Now now, you're much too hasty. She is the daughter of old friends. I'd like for you to escort her to Victoria Island."

Sage got up and bowed to Anthony. "My name is Sage. Pleasure to meet you."

"No need for formalities Sage. The pleasure's all mine." Anthony smiled. "That's gonna be easy. She'll be there instantly, not a scratch on her." He pulled his crossbow off his back and aimed at the skulls on the wall.

"I am very confident in your abilities Anthony. No need to demonstrate them on my conversation pieces." Alcaster scolded. "You will be in good hands Sage. Now go and begin your journey. I wish you the best of luck."

Sage walked over and gave the Mage a hug, "Thank you Alcaster. I'll be sure to come back when I'm strong."

"I cannot wait for that day. You two be safe now!" He smiled and waved them off. "See ya old man!"

Anthony waved to him as he walked out the door and Sage followed right on his heels.


	3. Journey to Victoria

A brisk chill hit Sage as she walked out the door. She flinched a bit at the cold, but kept her eyes fixed on the tower in the West. She glanced over to Anthony, who seemed to be in his mid-twenties. As soon as they walked into the wilderness surrounding the tower, Anthony removed the crossbow from his back and quickly fired glowing arrows at the surrounding monsters. Sage was amazed at the sheer speed he noticed and killed them.

"Better be careful out here. These penguins shouldn't be taken lightly. They'll give you a nasty peck in the shins." He shot another with his bow. His golden eyes seemed to glow with concentration.

"Uhh… Okay…" Sage scooted along as he walked toward the tower, with Anthony shooting penguins in their way.

Anthony tossed a dagger to Sage, who nearly cut herself trying to catch it. "Use this if anything slips by me. Which I doubt will happen." He laughed to himself as he shot another group of penguins.

"You seem confident in yourself." Sage stated as she held the dagger to her right side.

"If you haven't noticed, I am an expert Marksman." Anthony shot more monsters with minimal effort. "We're here!"

He opened the door to the outrageously lofty tower. Sage stepped inside and looked straight up. It seemed to continue forever.

"You… You do have a scroll right?" Sage stuttered.

"Let me see…" Anthony looked into his leather bag, rummaging around for a scroll. "Hmm… Potion, potion, potion, cheese, potion… Hmm… I only have return scrolls."

"Can't we use those?" She pleaded.

"Nope. If we do, we'll be sent right back to town. Looks like we're climbing." With that, Anthony made his way up the tower, killing the monsters on the platforms nearby.

"It's gonna be a long day…" Sage sighed as she followed.

And so, the duo ascend up the tower. The trek was long and very tiring. Sage thought it would never end, for it consisted of many hours of rope climbing, jumping and dodging enemies, but it was well worth it after Sage saw the city of Orbis. As soon as they exited the building, she collapsed on the ground.

Sage gasped for air, "Jeeze… I thought it would never end…"

Anthony laughed, "Really? It's not a bad tower in comparison to the others. The one in Ludibrium takes forever to climb. Come on. There's a ship about to set sail for Victoria. We don't want to miss it now do we?"

"I suppose…" She gathered what little strength she had left and followed Anthony through the town to the departure point.

The city was truly beautiful. Clouds surrounded many buildings and platforms seemed to float on their own. There were many people of the fairy race and they simply flew from each platform. Sage envied them somewhat. If she was a fairy, she could have flown up the tower instead of climbing all that way. It definitely would have saved her some time and a lot of energy.

She sighed to herself as they made it closer to the ship that would take them to Victoria Island. The ship itself was massive. When her mother and father took her to El Nath, she was never really aware of the ship and the people in the city they passed through. She never paid attention because she always thought that her parents would explain their adventures to her. Seeing as how that was never going to happen, she paid close attention to everything around her. Sage wanted to learn about the world her parents once lived. Once she started noticing things, she began to see how magical the world was.

"All aboard!" The captain cried.

"Just in time! Hurry Sage!" Anthony pushed her onto the ship.

"I'm going!" Sage cried as she made it onboard.

A few minutes later, the ship set off. The city of Orbis became smaller and smaller, until it was out of sight completely. Sage looked over the edge of the ship and saw nothing but clouds. She smiled at the memory of her parents with her on the ship over a day before. _"__I promise… I'll never let someone risk their life for me, ever." _She looked toward Anthony. _"Technically, he didn't risk his life to save me. He's just helping me get to Victoria Island. Then, no one will have to protect me."_ She stared at the clouds in the sky passing by.

Anthony walked over and stood next to her. "You pick a job yet?"

She looked surprised, "Oh… I think I'm gonna be a Warrior. Like my dad."

"Warrior huh?" He tilted his head. "Not many girls pick that as their job. I mean, there are female warriors out there, but they're just hard to come by. I don't know any personally."

"Well, you're gonna know this one. I'll be sure to make my mom and dad proud." Sage smiled a bit at the thought of her becoming strong and independent.

"You know, you could be an Archer. They're quite awesome if I do say so myself. No bias or anything."

"Honestly, I don't think I'm cut out to be an Archer. Messing around with arrows and bows doesn't really appeal to me."

"Really? It gets much easier after practicing for a bit. You don't see me messing around with bows anyways. You just seem me aiming and firing."

Sage tilted her head. "Wait, so you just aim and fire? But how?"

He smiled, "Special technique you can learn once you become an Archer."

"Wow, that's pretty cool." She blinked.

"Is that enough to sway you to become an Archer" A big smile came over his face.

"Hmm…" Sage thought for a minute. She then simply stated, "Nope."

Sadness seemed to wash over Anthony's face. "Darn it!"

"Yeah, my dad was a Warrior and my mom was a Mage. I'm not related to any Archers, so I'm not gonna pick that as my job."

"Fine fine. Oh, by the way… I've been meaning to ask you… Did something happen to your parents?" Anthony hadn't been told about what happened to Sage's parents.

"Oh that's right… Alcaster didn't tell you." Sage turned away from Anthony.

She continued, her voice heavy with sadness, "They died before you arrived at Alcaster's house."

Anthony was sort of awestruck, "Sage, I'm so sorry! I didn't even know! Jeeze… I feel like a jerk now."

"It's not your fault. I really appreciate you going through all this trouble for me."

"No no, it's not a problem. I wish I could do more to help. I mean, what are you? Only 10 and you lost your parents? That's tough."

"Anthony…" Sage turned back around and glared. "I'm 12."

"…Really?" He leaned forward and opened his eyes a bit more.

Sage stuck out her tongue at him and walked into their cabin in the ship. He followed her and sat in a chair.

"I'm gonna go to sleep… Wake me up when we get to Victoria okay?" Sage curled up on the bed and closed her eyes.

"Sure sure, we got a few hours to go anyways. Sleep well Sage." He leaned back in his chair and looked out the window.

As Sage closed her eyes she thought about what had happened to her in the last day and a half. Her parents were killed by vicious monsters, but she has made a promise which she intends to follow through. She inhaled deeply. If it wasn't from sheer exhaustion, Sage would have been kept awake from the memories of her parent's deaths. She slowly drifted into a deep sleep, aided by the gentle swaying of the ship.


End file.
